Rubber toothbrush



March 23 1926. 1,578,074

J. CHANDLER RUBBER TOOTHBRUSH Filed July 1925 INVENTOR Ina-(vimATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

JERMAIN CHANDLER, OI TOLEDO, OHIO.

RUBBER [[OOTHIBRUSH.

Application filed July 28, 1925. Serial No. 46,647.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JERMAIN CHANDLER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Toothbrushes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in tooth brushes and aims toprovide a tooth brush which is of simple yet strong and durableconstruction; which is highly sanitary especially in that no pockets orcrevices are formed in its structure wherein dirt or germ breedingaccumulations are liable to build up; which may be readily cleaned;which is designed and'ada ted to be operated with facility to the enteethwithout ab-rading or injuring the same; and which massages the gumsin such a manner as to condition and preserve them against disease.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts which will behereafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification and in which- Figure 1 is aperspective view showing one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Flgure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail view of-the handle, and

Figure 4 is a detail view of the cleaning elements.

Refen lng to the drawings the numeral 1 war end constituted to provide ahead or brush back 2. The back 2 is formed with a slot 3 extendingentirely through the back and open on each side of the back. At each endof the slot 3, tongues 4 are provided, the tongues 4 being inte al andcoplanar with the back and extend iiig toward each other from the endwalls of the slot, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing thetongues 4 terminate shortof each other,

7 there being a substantial space 3 between the ends of the ton es, andthese tongues also are narrower t an the slots to leave An elasticcleaning element designated of thoroughly and eifec-' tively cleaningall of the surfaces of the designates generally a. handle having itsforgenerally at 5 is'provided and comprises a plate like body 6 ofgenerally rectangular form which is preferably constituted of rubber orother flexible and elastic material. The body 6 comprises similar andportions 7 and 8 and a longitudinally reduced intermediate portion 9,the intermediate portion 9 being so reduced by forming notches 10 and 11in the body 6. Integral with the portions 7 and 8 pointed rubberbristles 12 and 18 are formed, the portions 7 and 8 thus constitutingbristle backs.

The cleaning element 5 is assembled with the handle 1 as clearlyillustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and this assembly may be effected byslipping the end of the portion 9 adjacent the notch 10 over therearwardly disposed tongue .4 and then buckling the central part ofportion 9 to engage the end adjacent notch 11 over the forward tongue 4.In this way the intermediate portion 9 constitutes a mounting portionwhich is flexed and slightl tension'ed or straddled in the assembly toring the elasticity of the body 6 into play to aid the interengagementbetween the cleaning element and the handle. The security of thisinterengagement is enhanced by virtue of the fact that the edges of theend portions 7 and 8 contiguous with the notches 10 and 11 presentshoulders 14 and 15 engageable with the under face of the head 2 in theassembly. The action of these shoulders and the engagement of themounting portion 9 with the tongues 4 afl'ords an effectiveinterengagement of these parts. This mounting also results in thecleaning element taking a V-shaped form in the assembly, the bristlebacks 7 and 8 diverging and thebristles 12 and 13 extending toward eachother though angularly related.

With this brush all surfaces of the teeth may be-thoroughly cleanedwithout danger of injuring the teeth in any way. The backs of the teeth,the surfaces near the gum line and in between the teeth, all may beeasily and efl'ectively cleansed. Along with this desirable action thegums may be massaged to condition and preserve them against disease.

The brush may be readily cleaned and the cleaning element readilyremoved and replaced. The open work head on the handle acilitatesthorough and efiective cleaning and its open formation tends to preventaccumulation which would be liable to build up were blind recesses orpockets presented.

ll claim:

"1. A tooth brush comprising a handle having a head at one end formedwith a slot extending entirely therethrough, tongues on the headprojecting into the slot at the opposite ends thereof, said tonguesbeing spaced from each other and tromthe side walls of the slot, and acleaning element comprising a plate-like body of rubber having ,endportions constituting bristle backs and a longitudinally reducedintermediate mounting portion extended around the tongues, said endortions having shoulders engaging the un erside of the head, saidcleaning element being flexed to V-shaped form and slightly stretchedwhereby its inherent resiliency aids in holding it in position, andbristles integral with the bristle backs.

2. A tooth brush comprising a handle hav ing a head at one end formedwith a slot extending entirely therethrough, tongues on the headprojecting into the slot at the opposite ends thereof, said tonguesbeing spaced from each other and from the side walls of the slot, and acleaning element'comprising a plate-like body of rubber having ar acreend portions constituting bristle backs and an intermediate mountingportion extended around the tongues said cleaning element being flexedto V-shaped form and slightly stretched whereby its inherent resiliencyaids in holding it in position, and bristles integral with the bristlebacks.

3. A tooth brush comprising a handle having a rigid head at one endformed with a slot extending entirely therethrough, tongues on the headprojecting into the slot, and an elastic cleaning element having a bodyflexed to give the element a V-shaped form, said body having a mountingpo'rtion accommodated in the open slot and engaging the tongues.

4. A tooth brush comprising a handle having a head and an elasticcleaning element flexed to substantially V-shaped form, cooperative setsof bristles on the angularly disposed portions of the cleaning element,the set of bristles of one angular portion being directed toward the setof bristles on the other angular portion, and interengaging parts on thehandle and cleaning element for holding the same together, the cleaningelement being slightly stretched to hold the parts to'gether.

JERMAIN CHANDLER.

